Protected: Stepping into the quiet: before Discernment (follow up post; part II)

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Protected: Finding Meaningful Work

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

PART III from Dr. Ben Witherington on the Imago Dei

Read Part I here.

Read Part II here.

Thanks for joining me in this series that summarizes Dr Ben Witherington’s lectures on the Imago Dei (at the Welsey Forum 2014, Evangelical Seminary).

The following are snippets of the talk; the things that made the biggest impact on me.

(Scroll to the bottom to read a bio of Witherington and access his books.)

 

“By loving God you become like God. You become what you admire.”

The Kingdom of God is here now.

my note: (God broke into history and time with Jesus and his mission-and has always done that, to which the Bible attests.)

The Kingdom is also to come.

Kingdom means dominion (a realm). Dominion is a noun. Dominion is our inheritance.

 

“We live in a foreshadow, not a foretaste of the kingdom.”

my note: (The kingdom will come fully in the “fullness of time” and all will be put to rights-evil vanquished.)

 

Yom means day in Hebrew.

Yahweh can be translated as “Ancient of Days”

“Jesus is the only human + superhuman.”

Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense

 

Matt 11:27

I Tim. 2:3-5

Jesus:

• he is fully unique

• he meets the requirement (for sacrifice)

• he is the only God-man

• he is the only one worthy to be a mediator

 

Jesus imposed self-limitation
(Satan tempted him to abandon that.)

Jesus’ limitations on the “OMNIs”:

Time

Space

Knowledge

(He did have immediate access to God through his intimate relationship with God and that is why he could know secret or hidden things and how he could prophesy.)

Mortality

Power

Jesus accepted our natural limitations.

Phil. 2:6-8

Though in the form of God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

The big difference? He sinned not.

How Jesus dealt with problems:

1. Using the scriptures

2. With the spirit of God

Thus:

• We have the same resources

• We can imitate Jesus

BIO:

Bible scholar Ben Witherington is Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University in Scotland. A graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill, he went on to receive the M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in England. He is now considered one of the top evangelical scholars in the world, and is an elected member of the prestigious SNTS, a society dedicated to New Testament studies.

Witherington has also taught at Ashland Theological Seminary, Vanderbilt University, Duke Divinity School and Gordon-Conwell. A popular lecturer, Witherington has presented seminars for churches, colleges and biblical meetings not only in the United States but also in England, Estonia, Russia, Europe, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia. He has also led tours to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt.

Witherington has written over forty books, including The Jesus Quest and The Paul Quest, both of which were selected as top biblical studies works by Christianity Today. He also writes for many church and scholarly publications, and is a frequent contributor to the Beliefnet website.

Along with many interviews on radio networks across the country, Witherington has been seen on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Discovery Channel, A&E, and the PAX Network.
Click to View the Books by Dr Ben Witherington.

The Four Loves and Dogs

DOGintheGAPbonusedition+.pdf

I’m SO excited that our  book “Dog in the Gap” has been so well received. It’s even sold over a dozen copies BEFORE the Official release date!

Yes, you can buy it now.
Here.

or upgrade and get the BONUS EDITION:
here.

It was great to read a stellar review by Crystal Hurd, too. Crystal is a C.S. Lewis scholar and Lewis makes several appearances within the pages of “Dog in the Gap” thanks to my co-author Doug, a celebrated C.S. Lewis enthusiast and scholar in his own right. (He may be reluctant to tout it, but I’m fine telling you that he was even invited to the UK to present a paper on C.S. Lewis recently.)

But back now to the good tidings!

Enjoy this EXCERPT from Crystal Hurd’s blog:

Screen Shot 2013-08-17 at 8.12.41 PM

 

Lewis writes in his non-fiction work The Four Loves, ‘Emerson has said, ‘When the half-gods go, the gods arrive.’ That is a very doubtful maxim. Better say, ‘When God arrives (and only then) the half-gods can remain.’ In other words, when we fall under the all-wise (and therefore safe) authority of the One God, we can carry out our God-given responsibilities without becoming tyrants.  And among those responsibilities is the duty to woo the rational and relational in the lower animals.  Humanity’s creation in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26) means, among other things, that we carry an inborn desire to sub-create rational begins and have relationships with them.

 

What great truth is this.  Have we ever considered that our responsibility to animals is molded after God’s responsibility of His children?  And as His children, do we always carry this responsibility with the same fervent devotion and attention that He offers to us?  It completely redefines the relationship I have with my pets and by extension to the animal kingdom at large. Not only do we forge important relationships with animals and gain substantial perspective (and companionship), but we also please our Father, the author and creator of Love who is the Great Architect of deep and meaningful connections.

Read the rest of Dr Crystal Hurd’s Review here.

Protected: Discernment Series: Lent, Fasting, and Discernment, part 1

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: